Pages

Monday, May 08, 2006

When You Need to Know: Manhattan Neighborhood Links

Part of Manhattan's charm is the distinct character of each neighborhood, from Murray Hill to MorningsideHeights, Little Italy to Lenox Hill. Check in here for neighborhood guides and info; I’ll periodically update these links to keep you informed.

MorningsideHeights – so named because it sits atop a 135-foot bluff - is a genteel neighborhood just above Manhattan's Upper West Side. Flanked by three of the city's finest parks, and home ColumbiaUniversity and The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, it

lends itself to meandering and taking your time. Get to know the people and places of MorningsideHeights on this walking tour.

An anchor on the northern edge of Midtown, the Plaza Hotel was the Grande Dame of New York luxury hotels. Established in 1907, its rooms overlooking Central Park, its French Chateau architecture, and its famed interiors such as the Palm Court, the Grand Ballroom and the Oak Room and Oak Bar made the Plaza a New York icon. Sadly, the hotel closed its doors on April 30, 2005, for a conversion to private residences.

You probably already know about the popular Union Square Greenmarket (or Farmer's Market, as it's often called). But did you know Manhattan hosts 18 other Greenmarkets throughout the city on different days of the week? While some are seasonal, 11 are open year-round. Use this map to find a Greenmarket in your neighborhood. NOTE: Adobe Acrobat Reader required. For more information on the city’s Greenmarket program, CLICK HERE.

Tom Fletcher, a New York architect (by way of Australia), maintains this online library of photographs and notes about an eclectic range of the city's most architecturally interesting buildings; it's conveniently organized by neighborhood.

This handy neighborhood guide to best places for inline skating is thoughtfully written for the novice as well as experienced skater, noting such details as how the trees hanging over the sidewalks of Riverside Park make the ground "twiggy." Get the full rundown on all the best locales around Manhattan.

When you need a restaurant in a specific neighborhood, use this link to get New York Magazine’s listing of 1,861 Manhattan restaurants sorted by location – from Battery Park City to the WestVillage (neighborhoods are sorted in alphabetical order). You can resort the list by cuisine, price range or restaurant name. Reviews are included, too.

New York Magazine Neighborhood GuidesThe glossy’s Web site offers a number of handy neighborhood guides with detailed maps and write-ups on local shops, restaurants and attractions. Check them out before you head out.

Plug your address into this interactive NYC Map Portal, and you can spend hours getting detailed information on your neighborhood, from the breakdown of your various districts (community, city council, school, etc.), census data and local services to a host of statistics such as crime rates, number of noise complaints and more.

This map breaks the five boroughs down into their 59 official Community Districts. Click on any one to get a detailed view of the district, including niche neighborhoods (e.g., you’ll see not just the Upper East Side, but Carnegie Hill). Or, use the pull-down menu to select a specific neighborhood to view. You can also use this site to obtain information on proposed city planning projects, such as the city’s recommendations for the development of the WorldTradeCenter site and the High Line development plan in Chelsea.

Watch this interactive computer animation reveal the development of the downtown New York City skyline, neighborhood-by-neighborhood and era-by-era. First click on an area (e.g., downtown), then click through the time periods and major developments, and watch the city take shape – literally. HINT: A brief tutorial precedes the animation; just click through each of the links to arrive at the interactive map. For more information about the Manhattan Timeformations project and its developers, CLICK HERE.